One of the key areas where a lot of social enterprises need support is in...
Half Half None
The following blog has been co-written by co-fellows Daraab Saleem Abbasi and...
Diamond Rush: It’s All About Luck
“Kaunsa wala khadaan dekhna hai? Sarkaari ya jo naadi kinaare hai woh ?”...
Learning From Wipro Partners’ Meet 2022
Education system of India - has it ever not been a hot topic? I can go as far...
Financial Literacy – Necessity Of The Hour
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Death, Distress Ramesh Lal*, his wife and their four...
How I Came To Believe In The Wonders Of A Smile
I frequently discover myself being mesmerized by happy faces. 7,000 different...
Van Gujjar Settlements In Uttarakhand
It was my third week at Living Lightly and second week at our Dehradun...
A Library That Nurtures Choice And Freedom
I bleakly recall the image of me as a child looking with awe at the...
Domestic Violence : Pegging The Blame
What do you say when a woman you met 20 minutes back, tells you, “Maar-pitai to yahan har ghar mein hoti hai. Maine shadi ke pehle ye sab kabhi nahi dekha lekin is mohalle mein roz ka hi hai. Ab ajeeb nahi lagta, aadat pad gayi hai.” (Violence happens in every home...
Of People And Places
Ever had the feeling where you were kicking yourself for leaving the good life behind? From being a reasonably well-off graduate student in Toronto, enjoying first-world comforts, to being completely drenched and hanging on for dear life, on the roof of an overcrowded...
A City That Existed Before : Palesar
"*Kishanlal is a farmer who is aspiring to make a "Pakka Makaan" which he is not able to. Money is a major constraint and he worries about his 'Kaccha Makaan' falling down due to the excessive rain, just like it happened with the few unfortunates who died last year....
How Useful Is A Health Insurance Scheme In India?
Travel (home to block hospital) - Rs 200Medicine - Rs 300Travel (block hospital to private clinic) - Rs 100Medical expenses (doctor fees, caesarean delivery charges, medicines) - Rs 22,000Travel (private clinic to home) - Rs 200Total Expenditure (in 3 days) - Rs...
KHAAN : The Evolution Of A Dead Mine
A few months back I worked on a radio series called Khanabadoshon Ki Duniya (The world of migrants). It focused on breaking the narrative of internal migrants as a threat to development as portrayed by various media. The themes touched upon areas like the...
10 Types Of People I Met In My NGO
I spent half of my fellowship year in the back office, which is in a residential colony of Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Since it is known to be a women's organization, the employee sex ratio is slightly skewed in our favor. But, irrespective of them being male or female,...
The Privilege Called Information : Of Hierarchy, Distance and Language
My world view of West Bengal was very limited. West Bengal was just Kolkota. There was no knowledge about the state beyond Durga Puja, fish curry and Tagore. It was my first time in Badwan, a block in the district of Purulia in West Bengal. The place contained 134...
Ladakh : The Land That Was!
It looked like a dream, stayed like an old friend and will be often recalled as the land where most outsiders found bliss, either in nature or in other people and a few, within themselves. Everyone knows Ladakh is heavenly, not just in the way it looks but also how it...
A New Lens, Jharokha | झरोखा
It has been 8 months in my project here in Siwan Bihar, and I would like tell everyone about the entire journey, so here it is. Do let me know what you think. Apprehensions & initial jitters - I had joined my host organisation Parivartan clueless with no idea what...
What Renu Managed To Do With Training And Courage
Renu Devi was 7 months pregnant and expecting her second child. It was around midnight that she started having labour pains. She ignored the pain since her expected due date was two months away so she thought these must be false pains. Moreover, it was late at night...
Sanju’s Tryst With Beekeeping
Beekeeping, apart from helping improve crop produce and sustainability, can also provide a viable source of income for many in rural India. An account of how the practice has helped a high-school dropout rediscover his purpose in life, thanks to proper training and...
Poverty : My 1st Lesson In The Social Sector
How long has it been since you had your last meal? 17 hours for me, out of which 13 went by sleeping in an air-conditioned compartment of a train. My head is aching and I’m sipping water slowly but here’s why I’m tolerating hunger: Can’t leave the luggage unattended...
Saving The World : One Stupa At A Time
Everyone agrees the planet is getting warmer. What do we do about it? How do we adapt to it? More than two decades ago, Chewang Norphel, also known as the Ice Man of Ladakh, hit upon an ingenious idea. What if he could somehow store all the water that goes waste in...
Of A Medicine Degree, Ethical Dilemmas And An Opportunity
Written by Anupama Pain - India Fellow alumni, in the fellowship program team and Tushar's friend. “Do the doctors or the nurses scold if you are crying or screaming due to labor pain in the hospital?” I listened to the exchange with some amusement. Tushar, 25, to my...